The primary school teacher killed while trying to protect her class in the 1996 Dunblane massacre has been recognised with a new honour.
The family of Gwen Mayor has received the Elizabeth Emblem, which was introduced last year for UK public servants who died in the line of duty.
Scottish secretary Ian Murray said he was “particularly pleased” to see the honour go to Ms Mayor, who was killed by gunman Thomas Hamilton along with 16 of her P1 pupils on 13 March 1996.
Her husband, Rodney Mayor, said: “As a family we are extremely proud and honoured to be receiving this award on behalf of Gwen. We always believed her actions that day deserved more recognition.”
He added: “You would have to have known Gwen to know that she would have done whatever trying to protect the children in her care.
“She paid the ultimate price for that commitment. Finally, we now feel that she has been honoured for what happened that day.”
Another teacher honoured with the Elizabeth Emblem is Bernard Butt, of TP Riley Community School in Walsall, West Midlands, who died on a school trip to Greece in 1988.
He attempted to save students when their cruise ship sank following a collision with a freighter near Piraeus.
News of the honour for Mr Butt comes after years of campaigning for him to receive greater recognition.
With the government today publishing a list of 106 people honoured with the award, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said that the country owes “an enduring debt to the public servants who give their lives to protect others”.
Referring to these honours being given to the families, he said: “The Elizabeth Emblem is a reminder not just of the ultimate price their loved ones have paid in service of our communities, it is a lasting symbol of our national gratitude for their incredible sacrifice.”
Mr Murray said: “I am particularly pleased that Dunblane teacher Gwen Mayor has been recognised. No one will ever forget the horror of the shooting at Dunblane Primary School in 1996, when Mrs Mayor was killed trying to protect her pupils.
“I hope that the families of all those recognised will take some comfort in knowing that their loved ones, and their service, have not been forgotten.”
Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, said the Elizabeth Emblem “enables us to remember their sacrifice and their lives dedicated to public service”, adding: “They made Scotland a better place for us all, and we continue to honour their memory.”
A public campaign after the Dunblane killings, known as the Snowdrop Petition, helped to bring about legislation that prohibited the private ownership of most handguns in Great Britain.
The Elizabeth Emblem is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK armed forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack.
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